Cat Burglary
by NinjaFalcon90
Summary: A mysterious thief has been stealing some of the brawlers' and visitors' valued belongings. A reward is given out by the Hands to whoever turns in the culprit. Soon, Link catches the culprit and befriends him. He has to decide whether or not he should turn in his new-found friend. Rated T to be safe. NO pairings. Chapter 6 is up!
1. Chapter 1: The Figure with the Ax

For some brawlers, walking in the dark was like taking a stroll in the park at noon. However to Ness, Lucas, and Toon, it was like hurrying through the dark woods. Although the three each faced hardships during their journey and are talented in magic and sword fighting, they were still innocent, little children who needed authorities to guide and protect them.

The three child brawlers were sneaking out of Ness's room, where they were having sleepover. It was every kids' dream. They were playing all kinds of games on their hard-earned Wii U, watching kids' cartoons, and constantly snacking on junk food. Even though they were told by the older brawlers to go to bed by ten thirty, the three best friends "accidentally" lost track of time.

During their sleepover, they ran out of Lon Lon Milk. Toon was asked to sneak into the kitchen and receive a carton of milk. Despite being one of the two Wielders of the Triforce of Courage (The other being his older brother Link.), Toon refused to go downstairs alone. To him, it was like exploring the dreaded Water Temple without a map. A bit hesitant, Lucas and Ness agreed to come along with him.

"Guys, just because I wield the Triforce of Courage does not mean I'm not afraid of everything." Toon whispered to his pals as they crept down the shadowy hallways.

"I know now." Lucas shakily replied. He feared the dark.

"Let's hurry." Ness said nervously. "The sooner we get the milk, the sooner we can get back to our room!"

A loud snore from one of the rooms caused the kids to jump.

"Was that the boogeyman?!" Lucas silently shrieked in fright.

"Nah." Ness cooly answered. "I think that was Ike!"

"Or Bowser!" Toon added with a smirk.

"No, that's wrong!" Ness joked. "It must be Princess Peach!"

The three kids began to giggle hysterically at Ness's joke and quickly stopped.

"Let's go, guys!" Lucas softly whispered. "We might wake someone up!"

Ness, Lucas, and Toon carefully tip-toed through the hallway and stealthily stepped down the stairs, which creaked with every step. Finally, they were at the foyer. The night lights, sofas, and lamps created disfigured shadows on the walls.

"We're almost there!" Toon whispered, trying to keep the spirit up.

"I don't know, but I have a feeling someone is watching us..." Lucas spoke shakily, peering around his dark surroundings.

"Nah, it's just your imagination!" Ness replied with a weak grin.

All of a sudden, there was a hair-rising creak from the stairs. The sudden noise made the startled kids jump in shock. What was that?! They anxiously peered up at the stairs and saw nothing.

"Did you hear that?!" Lucas asked unevenly. "If no, then it must be my imagination!"

"I heard it too!" Toon replied with surprised wide eyes.

"Let's ignore it and get the milk!" Ness impatiently said.

The three hurried into the kitchen. Unbeknownst to them, a pair of wide, eerie eyes was watching them from the staircase.

In the kitchen, Ness opened the refrigerator and quickly took a carton of Lon Lon Milk. Toon kept a sharp eye on his mysterious surroundings. His tingling sixth sense was warning him of something ominous lurking in the shadows. Lucas looked out of the window at the backyard, trying to keep calm.

"I got it!" Ness exclaimed, holding the carton of milk. "Let's get out of here!"

A small noise coming from the backyard caught Toon's pointy ears. "Guys! I-I hear something!"

"What was it?" Ness asked with a raised eyebrow.

"I don't know!" Toon answered. "It came from the backyard!"

Lucas, who was looking out the window, saw a dark figure shoving something encased in a wooden box across the backyard. "G-Guys! Look at that!" he shakily whispered, pointing at the figure.

Toon and Ness hurried towards the window and gasped in fright. "What is that?!" Toon hissed fearfully.

"I don't know!" Ness answered nervously.

"A-A-Are you s-s-sure it isn't R-R-Roy or R-Red?" Lucas asked apprehensively. "M-M-Maybe—"

"It can't be Roy or Red!" Ness replied, keeping his eye on the figure. "It's too short! Also... It has something on its back!"

"T-TToon, what d-do you t-t-think it is?" Lucas asked softly.

Toon identified the object with his sharp Hylian eyes, which widened in fright. "I think it is an ax!"

Ness and Lucas gasped in horror. "An ax?!"

"Yep, an ax." Toon nodded yes.

"It must b-be a s-s-serial k-killer!" Lucas whimpered.

"Let's get out of here before that thing sees us!" Ness whispered.

The three scurried out of the kitchen, hurried up the stairs, and dashed down the hallway. What was that?! Why was it at the Smash Mansion?! Were the other brawlers alright? Well, they did not hear any screams for help, so that meant that no one was killed.

When Ness, Lucas, and Toon arrived back at Ness's room, they were in for a horrible surprise. Ness dropped the carton of milk in shock. Their delicious snacks and precious Wii U had vanished into thin air. The TV screen was fizzing with black and white dots. The blankets on Ness's bed were piled on Toon's and Lucas's sleeping bags. The wind ghostly blew freezing air into the room. The window was wide open, showing the gazing full moon. Completely petrified and confused, Ness, Lucas, and Toon hysterically screamed in horror.

All of the lights in the mansions immediately flicked on. Link, whose room was the closest to Ness's room, was the first to arrive at the scene. He was clad in forest green pajamas and was barefooted. His blond hair, which was normally parted on the left, was ruffled and a bit tangled. His alert pointy ears were perked up in anxiety. "What's wrong?" he asked.

"O-O-Our W-Wii U g-g-g-got stolen!" Lucas managed to stutter out.

Giving a small nod to the kids, Link entered Ness's room and began to look around for clues. Ike, Marth, and Princess Zelda were the next witnesses. Princess Zelda was wearing a purple silk nightgown. She carefully checked for any strange signs lurking in the hallway. No, there was nothing suspicious.

Ike was wearing a black T-shirt and boxers. He went into Ness's room and asked, "Hey Link, did you find anything?"

"Nothing, for now." Link answered as he looked in the closet.

Marth kneeled down in front of the kids and gave them a warm hug. "Don't worry, everything fine." he gently said, soothing the three children, who snuggled against his blue shirt.

Mario and Luigi arrived at the scene. The two wore similar pajamas, only that Mario's was red and Luigi's was green. "Mama mia!" Mario exclaimed worriedly. "Is-a everyone okay?"

"We're fine." Ness answered, forcing a small smile. "We went downstairs to get some milk. When we returned, our Wii U and snacks got stolen!"

"The culprit must've escaped through the window." Toon added. "S-Scary!"

"Did you see or hear anything when you were downstairs?" Princess Zelda asked calmly, looking at the three kids.

"When we were in the kitchen, I heard a noise from the backyard!" Toon responded.

"We looked out the window and saw a figure with an ax pushing a box across the yard!" Lucas tightly grasped Marth's arm in fright.

"I assume that it's a serial killer." Ness added, his voice shaking slightly.

"Mama mia!" Luigi cried out. He began to tremble wildly. "You might-a be right!"

"It can't be." Toon replied. "If it was a serial killer, then we would had heard screaming for help!"

"Besides, we are brawlers." Marth added with a soft grin. "Only a baka would mess with us!"

"Unless if he was very tough!" Ike remarked with a smug smirk. Marth glanced at Ike with a comical scowl before returning to his calm state. "Kids, don't worry." Ike said to Lucas, Ness, and Toon. "We will always be there to protect you."

"T-Thank you, Ike." the three replied.

Link looked back at the others. "I can't find any evidence on who might be the culprit."

"It must be Wario!" Ness spoke. He glared at his two friends with a greedy gleam, resembling the selfish plumber. "He loves to steal precious things from the other brawlers! Also, he loves to eat!"

"Or Ganondork!" Toon added, scowling like the Gerudo King.

"I had a feeling Wolf or Bowser did it." Lucas said quietly. "Wolf is good with technology like Fox and Falco, and Bowser eats a lot!"

"Now, children." Princess Zelda spoke gently. "We should not jump to conclusions."

"But Wario, Ganondorf, Wolf, and Bowser are mean people!" Lucas innocently piped up.

"If the culprit was Bowser, would he be able to fit through the window?" Princess Zelda asked, pointing at the open window.

"Err, no." Lucas answered, his face turning red in embarrassment.

"Tomorrow, I'll-a let Master Hand know-a of this incident." Mario said. "He'll let-a everyone know and-a we can start a search-a for the Wii U. Don't-a worry, we'll find it-a soon!"

"What about the killer with the ax?" Ness asked.

"Ha!" Marth shouted out, sounding a bit cocky. "If it breaks into the mansion, we will handle it!" The Altean Prince gave three kids one more hug before letting them go and standing up. "Er, I'm tired." Marth yawned sleepily. "I'm going back to bed... Goodnight, minna."

The other brawlers watched Marth return to his room. "Goodnight, Marth."

"I'm going to check to see if anything else is stolen." Princess Zelda spoke up. "Does anyone want to come with me?"

"I'll come." Ike volunteered. "After being woken up like that, I can't go back to sleep!"

"Hey!" Ness exclaimed, feeling a bit offended.

"I will-a help you!" Mario said with a smile. He turned to Luigi. "Luigi, you-a going to help-a too!"

"No way, Mario!" Luigi replied, beginning to feel scared.

"Don't-a worry!" Mario encouraged. "Besides, you-a rescued me from-a King Boo by-a yourself, so you-a should be fine!"

"Ok..." Luigi sighed hesitantly.

Princess Zelda, Ike, Mario, and Luigi left the scene to check the whole mansion. Link, who was still in Ness's room, closed the window and shut the TV off. "It's really late." he said to Lucas, Ness, and Toon. "You guys should get some sleep."

"Link, is it alright if we could sleep with you?" Toon requested, hoping that the Hylian would not say no.

"That thing outside in the backyard really scared us!" Lucas added frightfully.

"Please?" Ness begged.

It only took Link one second to think of an answer. "Sure! I'll be happy to do so!"

Link allowed Toon, Ness, and Lucas to share his bed. It was awfully large, so there was enough room. The three children huddled against Link as he pulled the warm covers up.

"Link, if the killer appeared in your room, what will you do?" Toon whispered quietly.

"I'll defend all three of you, even if it costs my life." Link vowed. He suddenly thought of something. "Also, can you three keep a promise?"

"What is it?" Ness asked.

"Promise me that you'll stop watching these horror movies." Link answered with a mischievous smirk, causing the children to giggle. "I think it's coming to your head!"

"We will." Lucas yawned.

Link watched Ness, Lucas, and Toon fall asleep one by one. With small smile, he turned off the lights. Link loved to be with children. Before lying his head on the pillow, he looked out the window and jumped a bit. He saw a black figure standing in the backyard. Suspicious and feeling protective, Link slowly moved to take a closer look at the stranger.

"What's wrong, Link?" Toon asked, opening his sleepy cat-like eyes. The smaller Hylian was the closest to Link.

Link took a quick look at Toon and looked out the window again. Mysteriously, the figure vanished into the night.

"Link?" Toon curiously asked.

"It's nothing, Toon." Link answered, thinking that his eyes were playing tricks on him. "Just go to sleep."

Toon shut his heavy eyes and drifted to sleep. Wrapping his arms protectively around the three kids, Link laid his head in the soft pillow and allowed his consciousness to enter the dream world.

* * *

**Author's Notes: Kids, you're barking up the wrong tree! The Hands did it! **

**I mentioned that I might post a chapter Link/Villager fanfic in "Blue Pawn", so here it is! How often I update this story depends on the feedback I get. I will work on Blue Pawn, it is just that I am having a hard time thinking what should happen next. Also, there is a slight change in the storyline. The poll said Link will try to convince the brawlers that the villager isn't what he seems. It will be a bit different. (I'm not telling how! I don't want to spoil the story!)  
**

**Story Question:**

**Just tell me what you think of the story so far and suggestions. XD**

****I don't own SSB**


	2. Chapter 2: Pointed Fingers

Word of the children's missing Wii U spread like wildfire. Some were greatly terrified of the figure lurking in the backyard at night. It had an ax?! It sounded like a serial killer! For the first time, everyone stayed inside the mansion.

Accusing fingers were pointed directly at everyone. Several people thought Dedede recklessly took the kids' Wii U for revenge. (They once got him into big trouble.) Fox and Falco were accused because on their spare time, they are seen playing Star Fox Adventures on their GameCube. The two teammates always talked about getting a Wii U someday. Captain Falcon and Samus had a hunch Snake did it since he tended to avoid social contact with most of the brawlers. But then again, the spy solider did not enjoy playing video games.

Yet, most of the fingers were hysterically pointed at the antagonists. Ganondorf and Wario were loitering in the hallways when they were approached by a stern Pit and Roy. Roy's navy-blue eyes were narrowed into a glare. His arms were crossed, showing that he was upset at something. Pit looked more unsure than suspicious. His purplish eyes were a bit wide with distrust.

"What do you want from us?" Ganondorf scowled. He found both of the teens irritating with their ignorant actions.

"We knew you did it." Roy coldly spoke. "Don't try to lie! You two took Lucas's, Ness's, and Toon's Wii U!"

"We did not do it!" Wario retorted.

"That's what they all say!" Pit argued, shaking his head.

"Look, everyone in the mansion is saying we were the ones who did it" Ganondorf spoke sternly. "Both of us are feeling annoyed by this. Now, get out of our sight immediately!"

Pit and Roy jumped and hurried away. When Ganondorf said "immediately", he meant serious business! A bothered Wolf and Bowser approached Ganondorf and Wario.

"I can't believe it!" Bowser exclaimed in rage. "Everyone was talking behind my shell, sayin' that I was the one who stole a stupid Wii U!"

"Same here." Wolf growled under his breath. "Fox and Falco were interrogating me so much, I actually had to run away from them!"

"Just because we are the bad guys here, does not mean we always do evil things." Ganondorf said.

The villains nodded in agreement.

Not even the visitors were let off the situation. Some of the brawlers suspected that one of them might be the mysterious figure sneaking through the backyard. Many assumed that Boyd, a member of the Greil Mercenaries, was the "serial killer" due to his main weapon being an ax. Some thought it might be one of Palutena's guards. Just for the giggles, Red the Pokemon Trainer joked that Pichu was angry at the Hands for banning him from future tournaments and wanted to get revenge.

The cafeteria was as chatty as a flock of thousands of sparrows locked in an echoey room. Most of the conversations were about the same exact topic: the culprit guilty of stealing the Wii U and the figure in the backyard. It was almost like hell to Link. He thought he would be deaf for years if he made it out of the noisy cafeteria alive. The Hylian was sitting at a table with his friends.

"We interrogated Ganondorf and Wario." Roy said as he munched his bag of chips. "They said they did not do it, just like Bowser and Wolf."

"I think Wario did it." Pit commented, sipping some grape juice. He gave a nasty look to the overweight plumber, who was sitting at a table behind him, munching mostly on his junk food. "Just look at him! He loves to eat junk food and hates exercising! Once in a while, I would peek into his room and see him play WarioWare!"

"Pit, stop being nosy." Ike said bluntly.

"Look, it would be by accident!" Pit protested, still saying calm. "Sometimes, that guy doesn't move a muscle to close the door!"

"We shouldn't jump to conclusions." Link spoke. He gazed at Roy with a cocky grin. "Remember the time during the Brawl Tournament when Dedede was forcing the kids to write gossips about everyone? You and Marth thought everyone liked it just because they read it every day!"

"Don't remind me me..." Roy quietly groaned. Admittedly, that was not one of his best moments. He suddenly thought of something and began to quickly glance around the cafeteria. "Speaking of Marth, where is he?" the redhead asked. "Pit, weren't you in a match with him?"

"Yeah, he got third place." Pit answered. "Don't worry, he told me he felt really tired and wanted some time along. And no, he's not upset over getting third place!"

"Ok..." Roy bit into his peanut butter sandwich.

* * *

Marth sighed quietly as he let his exhausted body in a tub full of warm water. After a brutal match against Pit, Lucas, and Kirby, there was nothing like taking a warm bath in the bathroom, where no one was there to bother you. Bubbles floated gently across the water. Marth's hair was soaked with water, almost looking black.

The prince took some pink hair shampoo and began to message it through his hair. It smelled like sweet cherries. He then took a plastic bucket full of warm water and poured it over his head, washing the soap suds out.

Marth was about to open the shower curtain, step out of the tub, and dress in his princely clothes when he heard the bathroom door slowly squeak open. That's strange... Well, he did open the window to let some fresh air in, so maybe the wind calmly blew it open. Marth heard tiny footsteps tip-toeing into the bathroom. Through the white curtains, he saw the small figure of a little boy. It was not wearing a baseball cap or a floppy cap. Maybe it was Lucas?

"Ryuka-kun, I'm taking a bath!" Marth called out.

The figure froze in fright, before stepping closer. Marth was able to look closer and saw something producing from its back. It looked like... An ax! Marth's tranquil, cerulean eyes widened in fright. He began to tremble violently. Oh no— It's the serial killer everyone was talking about!

What could he do?! The Falchion was sitting on his bed along with his clothes! He was completely helpless! Marth eyed a large brush floating in the water. Desperate, he quickly took it and pulled the shower curtain open, chucking the brush at the same time. Startled, the shadowy figure hurried out of the bathroom, dodging the thrown projectile.

Marth awkwardly blinked and slowly stood up as his heart thumped violently. Water droplets rolled off his bare skin as he anxiously wrapped a fuzzy blanket around his body. He carefully stepped out of the tub exited the bathroom. Marth nervously glanced around his room for danger. That's strange... The figure disappeared! Marth slowly calmed down, looked at his bed, and gasped in shock. His heart began to beat violently, like if he just saw a ghost.

* * *

Ike, Link, Pit, and Roy were still sitting in the cafeteria, waiting for Marth. The cafeteria was still buzzing noisily with side conversations.

"Gee, where's Marth?" Ike impatiently asked. "Is he taking a nap or something?"

"I'll go check on him." Roy said. At that moment, Marth slowly entered the cafeteria. "There he is! Hey Marth!"

Marth heard Roy's voice and hurried to their table. "Konnichiwa." he softly greeted, taking a seat. The Altean prince unhappily looked down at his boots and fidgeted with the soft cloth of his sky-blue tunic.

Ike noticed the miserable look on Marth's face. "What's wrong? Are you really upset over that match?"

"No, it was really fun!" Marth piped up quietly.

"Are you lying?" Pit asked, raising a doubtful eyebrow. Marth was known for his shyness and submissive personality.

"I'm not lying!" Marth replied in a loud voice.

"Then what's wrong?" Link questioned, hoping to make the bluenette feel better.

"Please tell us." Roy ordered gently.

Marth silently mumbled some words. The only thing the four heard was, "My... Got... Len."

"Can you repeat that, please?" Ike asked. "I can't hear you."

"My... Tiara... Got... Len." Marth quietly repeated. He began to tremble in worry.

Roy took a look at Marth's head, where his valuable gold tiara usually sat. It was not there. "Did someone make fun of you for wearing your tiara again?" Roy asked. He was ready to kick some butt if Marth said yes.

Marth suddenly screamed, "MY TIARA GOT STOLEN!"

The prince's shout of anguish caused some of the surrounding brawlers to look at him in worry. Some of them gasped in shock, others just continued to mind their own business. Marth began to sob uncontrollably as Roy tried to comfort him. The redhead understood why he dearly valued his tiara.

Fox and Falco, who felt sorry for the poor prince, hurried to his table. "Aw, Marth. I'm really sorry." Fox said, giving Marth a small pat on the back.

"It's just a tiara, calm down." Falco said, not noticing that he sounded rude. In a small fury of anger, Marth exclaimed loudly and slapped Falco in the beak. "Ywoch!"

"It's not just a tiara, guys." Roy spoke, giving Marth a small hug. "If I remember correctly, his older sister Elice and fiancée Caeda gave it to him as a gift. Marth treasured it because it was a gift from two people he dearly loved."

"I understand now." Falco replied, rubbing his aching beak. "Sorry, Marth." Marth weakly nodded his head in understanding.

"First the kids' Wii U and now Marth's tiara?!" Ike shouted in shock. "Who the heck would do this?!"

"Well, it can't be Wario now." Pit sighed sadly. "He and his friends have been here all this time!"

"Did you see anything before you found out your tiara got stolen?" Link asked Marth.

"I saw something looking like little boy with an ax." Marth answered, silently whimpering as he remembered the terrifying moment. "He looked like Lucas but, I don't think Lucas would sneak in my bedroom without permission. I think he escaped through the window."

Toon, Ness, and Lucas, who were sitting in a table besides Marth's, gasped in horror. "That sounded exactly like what we saw last night!" Ness exclaimed, feeling a bit hysterical.

"I didn't do it!" Lucas quickly said. "I was here all along! Also, I don't steal things!"

"Everything's ok, Lucas." Pit calmly said to the blond.

Link suddenly rose from his seat with a stern gleam in his azure eyes. "Guys, I think we need to do something about this. We can't just accuse each other! We need to take action and find the culprit!"

"You're right." Ike replied. "I have a plan! Why don't we install security cameras in the mansion?"

"That might be a good idea." Link answered. "But I'm not sure what would the Hands think of it. They might say it costs too much."

"It's alright." Fox spoke up, giving a quick wink. "Falco and I are good at technology. We can try to make our own cameras!"

"Really?" Pit asked in astonishment. "Are you sure you guys can do it? Wouldn't it interfere with your schedule?"

"No problem!" Falco answered confidently. "We don't have any matches going on this week!"

"We will start now." Fox said. "Catch you guys later!"

"Cya!" Roy called as he watched the two Star Fox Team members hurry out of the cafeteria. "Should we let the Hands know of this situation?"

"Sure." Ike answered. "We need their permission to do this."

"Alright!" Roy turned to Marth. "C'mon, let's tell the Hands what happened, ok?"

"Y-Yes." Marth replied with a soft smile. The two swordsmen quickly left.

Pit suddenly got an idea. "Guys! Wouldn't it be awesome if we could set some booby traps?"

Link and Ike unsurely scratched the back of their head. "That can catch the culprit." Link answered. "But, anyone can set off the traps! It's not going to make anything better."

"Ok..." Pit sadly said in disappointment.

"Sorry, I just don't want people getting hurt." Link explained.

"But doesn't the thief deserve that?" Pit protested, trying to stay calm. "He made the children and Marth upset!"

"Now see..." Link began.

As he watched Link explain to Pit, Ike saw a striking similarity between both the thievery scenes. The culprit sneakily entered the room via an open window! "Guys, I just noticed something." Ike spoke up. "Link, when the kids' Wii U got stolen, the window was open. Am I right?"

"Yeah." Link answered. The Hylian caught on quickly. "Hey, when Marth's tiara got stolen, his bedroom's window was open too! That means, the culprit entered and escaped through the window!"

"I have a plan." Ike said with a devious grin. "I'm going to leave the window open in my room and hide my iPhone somewhere. It's going to record a video. That might catch the thief!"

"Awesome idea!" Pit blurted out excitedly. "I'm gonna try that! What about you, Link?"

"That is a good idea." Link commented. "Let's do that now! It might save some time for Fox and Falco!"

Ike and Pit quickly left the cafeteria, determined to carry out their plan. As Link rose from his seat, he turned around, looked out a window, and saw a little boy with an ax ghostly staring into his eyes. The Hylian blinked quickly in confusion. When he looked again, the boy had vanished. Link just peacefully shrugged his shoulders and hastily trailed his friends. He thought he was seeing things.

* * *

**Author's Notes: Guys, I think I just made Marth fangirls pass out! Also, I put a reference in this chapter, try to guess what it is!  
**

**Nearly forgot to upload the 2nd chapter, xD. Judging by the reviews, this story is interesting so I'll try to update this fanfic and Blue Pawn regularly. If you have any suggestions on what should happen next, please send it in a review! **

**Story Question:**

**Why do you think the thief is stealing everyone's belongings? **


	3. Chapter 3: Plans

Once when he was in his room, Link hid his iPhone in his closet while it was recording a clear video of his entire bedroom. Next, he took the legendary Ocarina of Time out of his drawer and set it on a chair, which stood in the middle of his room. It was greatly valued by Link because, not only it had magical qualities, it was a gift from his cousin Time. The ocarina had a pale-blue, glossy surface, a few finger holes, and a golden Triforce symbol.

"Gee, I hope no one takes my ocarina!" Link spoke out loud in attempt to lure out the thief. He opened his bedroom window. "It's one-of-kind and very valuable!"

Link quickly left his room after saying that statement. He met up with Pit and Ike in the hallway. The two had just finished setting up their devious plan.

"What did you guys use for bait?" Pit asked excitedly. "I used a bow Lady Palutena gave to me as a gift!"

"I used the ocarina Time gave to me." Link answered.

"I just used a bucket full of leftover chicken wings." Ike responded.

Pit and Link gave Ike a strange look. "Gee, you really like eating chicken that much, huh?" Pit naughty teased, trying to hold his laughter.

Ike gave Pit a playful scowl. "Well, I was thinking that the thief might be hungry!" he retorted.

"Let's go and fine Roy and Marth." Link said. "If we linger here, the thief may not come."

Ike, Link, and Pit assumed that the redhead and bluenette were in the backyard. On their way, they passed by Fox and Falco, who were carrying a newly-made security camera to the cafeteria. The two partners gave them a quick wink. Ike was a bit stunned on how fast it took them to finish making a security camera.

The three met Roy and Marth in the backyard. The two were sitting on the grass underneath a pink blossom tree. Roy was wondering who was the terrible thief stealing the brawlers' precious items. Marth had calmed down but, his eyes were still slightly pink from crying over his missing tiara.

"Hey guys!" Ike greeted as he, Link, and Pit sat down with them. "So, what did Master Hand say?"

"They are going to allow us to catch the culprit." Roy explained. "They just announced the news to the whole mansion. Fox and Falco are now setting up the cameras in all of the Mansion's rooms."

"If someone catches the thief," Marth added. "he needs to turn him into the Hands. Amazingly, the Hands are giving a lot of Smash Coins as a reward."

"That's cool!" Pit blurted out. "I'm really motivated to catch the thief now!"

"Me too!" Roy replied with a beaming smile. "I even saw some of the visitors trying to find the thief!"

"Really?" Link asked in surprise. "Wow, are they just doing it for the coins?"

"Lilina and Wolt are!" Roy answered, smirking to himself. "Dad and Marcus just want to catch the thief." Roy turned to Ike and Link. "If I heard correctly, Rhys and Time said they were going to look in the basement."

"The basement?!" Ike exclaimed in bewilderment. "Darn, they must be really brave! I can't stand being locked in that place for five minutes!"

Link, Pit, Roy, and Marth nodded in agreement. "Let's go into the mansion and help the others with their search!" Pit suggested.

"Yeah!" Link stood up with the others. "Who knows, we might actually catch the thief!"

* * *

Meanwhile, Time and Rhys were cautiously walking around the shadowy basement. Rhys was using his magic staff as a source of light. Time listened for any tiny, suspicious noises.

The basement was the most feared place in the Smash Mansion. It was a dark, gloomy room underneath the kitchen used to store foods and whatnot. The only sources of light were a small light bulb hanging from the ceiling, which often flickered off suddenly, and the light from the kitchen. A grumpy furnace with a mind of its own growled at Rhys, who stepped too close to it.

"W-Wah!" Rhys hurried back to Time. His magic staff lost its bright shimmer

"Don't worry, it's just the furnace." Time calmly told the startled priest.

"Oh... Ok." Rhys softly whispered. "Sorry, t-this place is spooky. Are you not scared?"

"A little bit." Time answered.

"How do you stay so calm?" Rhys quietly asked the Hero of Time.

Time brushed his golden blond hair out of his slanted eyes and twitched his pointy ears. "I just don't let my imagination get the best of me. Try that!" The Hylian gave Rhys a wink.

"O-Ok..." Rhys replied. He tried to force his terrifying thoughts out of his imagination. "I think it's working!"

"That's nice!" Time replied with a kind smile. He quickly looked behind a box of canned food. "Do you see anything?"

"No." Rhys answered.

All of a sudden, there was a hair-raising creak from the stairs. Time and Rhys quickly looked up and saw the door to the kitchen mysteriously slam shut. The light bulb hanging from the ceiling suddenly popped, leaving the two in the lonely darkness. Rhys hurriedly lit his staff and anxiously peered around. Time's ears twitched in surprise at the sudden noises.

"Are you alright?" Time asked.

"Y-Yes." Rhys softly answered. "Let's get out of here! There's nothing here!"

"Yeah, let's go!" Time replied. "Urk, it's really dark here! Can you try to light up the area a little brighter?"

"Sure!" With a gentle smile, Rhys used his staff to brighten the entire basement.

Time and Rhys glanced at the stairs to the kitchen and jumped in their boots in fright. Standing in front of them was a little brunet boy with eyes as wide as saucers. A tiny innocent smile was pasted on his face. Clutched in his tiny hands was a shining, sharp ax. It perfectly matched With a startled shriek, Time and Rhys abruptly rushed towards the stairs, accidentally knocking over the boy in the progress. Yet, they did not notice, because all of their attention was on getting out of the horrid basement as quick as possible with their precious lives. In the hurry, Rhys's valued staff slipped on his fingers.

Ike, Link, Marth, Roy, and Pit entered the kitchen. At that exact moment, Time and Rhys dashed out of the basement and collapsed onto the kitchen floor, whimpering frightfully. Both of their faces were as pale as paper.

"Rhys!" Ike exclaimed in worry, hurrying towards the frail priest. Rhys sat up, still trembling slightly. "What happened?"

"Time, are you alright?" Link helped his older cousin up.

"W-We were looking for the thief in the b-basement." Rhys shakily explained. "A-A-And we saw t-this boy with a-an ax!"

"Usually, I would try to fight 'em off and let Rhys run." Time spoke up, his ears twitching a bit. "But, I was unarmed! We had no choice but to run!"

"Boy with an ax?" Marth asked out loud, his eyes widening in shock. "I saw him!"

Rhys felt that something was missing. "Oh, I left my staff in the basement!" he gasped in sudden realization. His knees began to tremble and his orange eyes filled with distress.

"I'll get it." Roy spoke, his voice full of uneasiness.

"Do you want me to come?" Pit volunteered with a brave smile. "I'll watch your back!"

Roy smiled back at his friend. "Thanks, Pit."

The two young teens carefully entered the basement, their light footsteps cautiously stepping down the creaky stairs. Link and the others held their breath, preparing themselves to hurry into the basement at the sudden scream for help. There was a long moment of silence.

"Do you see anything?" Pit's voice rang out. "I've checked everywhere."

"No, I can't find Rhys's staff and that boy with the ax!" Roy's voice answered.

Rhys's heart sank like a stone in water as Roy and Pit exited the basement. He was greatly saddened because, Mia gave the staff to him as a birthday present.

"Sorry, Rhys." Roy apologized to the unhappy priest. "We couldn't find it."

Rhys forced an optimistic smile. "That's fine. At least you two made it out unharmed! I'll ask Mist if she has a spare staff for me to use." He hurried out of kitchen and began to look for Mist.

After watching Rhys leave, a sudden chill shot down Ike's back as his sixth sense told him something has happened. His cobalt-blue eyes widened in jolt and he slightly twitched. Something had happened... But what was it? Maybe the thief snuck into his room and his iPhone caught footage of the act!

Link saw Ike's tiny erratic movement. "Ike, what's wrong?"

"I suddenly have this strange feeling..." Ike quietly answered. He began to head out of the kitchen.

The others quickly followed him. "Ike, what is it?" Link asked again.

"J-Just follow me." Ike replied anxiously.

Ike led his friends to his room. They peered in through the doorway. Well, it did not seem to change a bit. The Ragnell was still in his closet. Then again, few could successfully lift the enormous two-handed sword.

Ike was the only one who noticed the slight difference. "Its gone!" he exclaimed.

"What's gone?" Time asked.

Ike entered his room and pointed to a spot on the floor. "I placed a bucket of chicken wings right there." he said. "This means the culprit was here!" With a triumphant grin, Ike went to his closet, where he hid his phone. He took it, stopped recording the video, and brought it to his friends. "Everyone, looks like we finally caught the thief in action!" Ike boldly said.

* * *

**Author's Notes: DUN DUN DUN! Cliffhanger! *Hit in face with unrefrigerated pie* **

**Sorry for not uploading. ^^; I decided to take a small break. Chapter 4 is nearly finished, so I'll try to finish and upload it ASAP. Also, I'm taking suggestions. If you want a brawler or visitor to have his or her belonging stolen, please mention it in a review! **

**Story Question:**

**If you encountered the boy with the ax, how would you react? **

**When should Link meet the Villager? **


	4. Chapter 4: That Little Sneak

The group began to circle around Ike and anxiously look at his phone, which was playing the video. For the first five minutes, it only showed the bucket of chicken sitting in the middle of the room. Link and Time gazed sharply at the video, waiting for the thief to come out. Roy blinked as he tried to keep his heavy, bored eyes on the dull phone. Pit yawned softly. Marth nervously tapped his feet on the ground.

"Can you fast-forward to the part when the thief comes in?" Roy asked, feeling impatient. "All I see is the bucket of chicken sitting on the floor!"

"I know!" Time yawned, his pointy ears drooping slightly in boredom.

"Wait, someone's coming in!" Pit gasped excitedly.

In the video, a circular shadow was seen waddling down the hallway like a duck through the doorway. It came to a complete halt and took a look at the bucket of chicken. With a joyful squeal, it carelessly skipped into Ike's room. Everyone's jaws dropped in bewildered shock when they saw the culprit.

A certain pink puffball stopped at the bucket of chicken and tipped it over, spilling it's delicious contacts. He opened its wide mouth and inhaled the chicken wings like a vortex. The chicken flew in his mouth, which was an endless black hole. With a satisfied burp, Kirby licked his lips with a goofy smile.

Meta Knight hurried into Ike's room. "Kirby! You shouldn't be here! Ike was using that for a trap! Let's hurry before he discovers us!"

After watching the two puffballs hurry out of his room, Ike stopped the video, turned off his phone, and sighed in disappointment. He thought he finally caught the real thief in action.

"Sorry if I got your hopes up." Ike sighed unhappily.

"It's alright!" Link replied with a hopeful smile. "Let's check my room! The thief might've been there!"

The six headed to Link's room. There, Link discovered the Ocarina of Time missing from its place. "Hey, the Ocarina of Time is gone!" Link exclaimed. "The thief might've taken it!"

Time gave his younger cousin a sullen glower. "You used the legendary Ocarina of Time as bait?!" He clutched his fists in anger.

"Hey, if I used the Master Sword, I wouldn't be able to defend myself in matches!" Link retorted. He turned to his closet and took his iPhone. "Hey!" the Hylian exclaimed. "Someone turned off my phone while it was recording!"

"Let's see what happened!" Ike replied.

Link played the recorded video. His friends watched in curiosity. For the first few minutes, it just showed the same picture: the ocarina sitting on the chair.

"Can you fast-forward the video?" Pit and Roy asked. The two teens were feeling very antsy.

"Sure." Link fast-forwarded the video. After a few quick seconds, a dark familiar-looking villain entered the room in the video. "Hey!" Link cried out in shock.

Time gasped in horror. "It's Ganondorf!"

The six could only helplessly watch the King of Evil laugh wickedly as he took the Ocarina of Time and clutched it in his hands. The viewers had a frightening sense that the ocarina might suddenly shatter into pieces, due to the way Ganondorf held it. He then gazed at the camera and scarily step towards it. His enormous hand reached towards it, blacking the entire screen. That was when the video ended.

Time's blue eyes widened in rage as his face slowly turned red in fury. How dare did Ganondorf steal the Ocarina of Time! It was not meant for him; it was meant for his younger cousin Link! The Hero of Time turned and said, "I'm going to have a small chat with Ganondorf." Then he left Link's room.

Link was unsure whether he should feel sorry for Ganondorf. When enraged, Time could nearly be unstoppable and uncontrollable. The older Hylian tended to become quite violent.

"Let's see if the thief stole my bow!" Pit piped up, his wings twitching in nervousness.

When the five brawlers arrived at Pit's room, Pit immediately peered around his and jumped a bit. Roy caught the angel's surprised movement. "What is it?" he asked.

"I put the bow on my desk!" Pit explained. "The thief must've stolen it!"

Everyone entered Pit's room. Marth asked, "Where did you hid the camera?"

Pit went to his nightstand and took his phone. "Right here!" He played the video and his friends gathered around him. "I'm just going to skip to the part when the thief comes in." The angel hurriedly sped through the video. It showed the exact same thing, just the entire room with Pit's bow sitting on the messy desk, which was covered with pencils and papers.

Twenty minutes into the video, Roy caught a figure quickly climbing through the window. "I see something!"

Pit instantly paused the video and asked, "Where?"

Roy pointed to the figure on the screen. "Right there!"

"Resume the video." Ike said. "Let's see what happens next!"

Pit continued the video. The figure's identity was revealed to be the little boy with the ax. He was wearing a red shirt and shorts, similar to Lucas's and Ness's attire. His hair was brown as a chestnut. Like Toon's eyes, they were huge and nearly cat-like. Marth's calm eyes widened in fright. It was the terrifying boy he saw in his bathroom! What was he going to do?

The boy entered the room through the window and step onto Pit's bed. He eyed the bow sitting on the desk, jumped off the bed, and hurried towards the desk. Without wasting a single second, he snatched Pit's gift from Palutena and scurried out of the room like a mouse.

Pit stopped the video. "Well, we kinda got the thief."

Ike noticed Marth trembling wildly. "Marth, are you alright?"

"Y-Yes." Marth quietly answered. "I just recognized the boy! That all."

"So, he entered through the window and exited through the door." Roy pondered out loud. "He could be hiding somewhere in the mansion. But, that might not be true. When the kids' Wii U got stolen, they said they saw him sneaking around in the backyard, which means he could also be hiding somewhere outside the mansion."

"Fox and Falco's security cameras can help us discover the thief's hideout." Link said. "Maybe they just did!"

"I hate to say this, but no." Fox's voice suddenly spoke. The five brawlers turned around and saw Fox and Falco standing together in the doorway.

"Did the cameras not work?" Marth asked.

"No, they do work." Falco answered. "Well, only the ones that were just set up in the cafeteria, kitchen, and front hallway."

"We just went to our room to retrieve some cameras, so we could set them in the foyer, front yard, backyard, teleporter room, the Hands' office, library, and all the rest hallways." Fox began to explain. His green eyes filled with bewilderment. "Strangely, all of them vanished into thin air! We looked everywhere, thinking that we just misplaced them for some reason."

"And?" Pit spoke, a bit interested and stunned.

"We still couldn't find them." Falco finished.

"Why don't you make some more cameras?" Ike asked.

"We can't." Fox answered. "Even the materials got stolen!"

"What?!" Marth exclaimed in shock.

"That means, the thief knows our plan." Link said. He gently tugged his golden bangs in frustration. "He is now nearly free to take whatever he wants. We need to put our guards up."

"I think it'll be fine." Roy said, keeping his cool. "I mean, the others might catch him in action!"

"I won't be too sure." Ike replied. "Remember Rhys and Time? They saw him and panicked!"

"You know, I've been wondering how many personal belongings the thief took." Fox remarked. "Besides the camera and the materials."

"Four." Link answered. "The children's Wii U, Marth's tiara, Rhys's staff, and Pit's bow. Hopefully, nothing else will get taken."

"OH MY GOSH!" a certain teenager in red exclaimed in panic.

Wondering what could be happening, the brawlers quickly peered out of Pit's room ad Red the Pokemon Trainer hysterically hurrying out of his room. It was an unusual sight because, Red was one of the calmest brawlers in the Smash Mansion. Even if he and his Pokèmon were losing a tense match, Red would not panic and madly shout commands like an army general. Instead, he would quickly reassure his valued partners and encourage them.

"What's wrong, Red?" Fox and the others hurried towards the trainer. Red froze and hysterically panted for air.

"Calm down!" Falco exclaimed, patting Red's sweaty back. "Just tell us what happened."

"Alright," Red began, slowly trying to calm himself. "I put all of my Pokèmon in their Pokèballs because, they needed a small rest from their training. Then, I went to the backyard to relax, only to find out that I had a match today with Snake, Megaman, and Sonic. I completely forgot about it!"

"Were your Pokèmon with you?" Ike asked.

"No, I put them in my backpack!" Red answered. "I left it in my room! When I quickly came back to get it, it wasn't there!" His face went pale like if he saw a ghost. "I'm scared! What if something happens to my Pokèmon? I don't want them to get hurt or anything!"

"Don't worry, we'll try to find them!" Pit said cheerfully, trying to brighten up the moment. "Let's tell the Hands what happened so they can excuse you from today's match!"

When the seven brawlers arrived at the front of the office, they were shocked to see the rest of the brawlers and visitors angrily surrounding the two gloved hands. Their enraged and terrified voices shouted so continuously, that it was somewhat hard to understand what they were saying.

"My Wii Fit Board disappeared!" The Wii Fit Trainer cried out. "It was in my room this morning!"

"Both of our Falchions vanished into thin air!" Chrom and Lucina called out at the same time, their identical blue eyes filled with irritation.

"My son's paint brush got taken!" Bowser roared furiously as he tried to comfort his weeping son. "He can't dominate Isle Delfino without it!"

Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong grunted and yelped. Link assumed that they were saying that their bananas went missing.

"My guns were stolen!" Megaman shouted, jumping up and down so he could glare at the Hands. "How am I supposed to fight in matches without them?"

"How am I supposed to bake a perfect cake and cookies without my cookbook?" Princess Peach sighed. Mario and Luigi gasped in horror and fainted. They dearly loved the princess's cooking.

"The scrapbook consisting photos of Roy when he was growing up was stolen." Eliwood said quietly yet sternly. Wolt and Lilina who were standing close to the Marquess of Pherae, gasped in fright, backed away, and held up their hands, showing that they were innocent. NO one had the right to look in the precious scrapbook without Eliwood's permission.

"Someone stole my helmet!" Captain Falcon said. He looked a bit funny without his trademark racer helm.

Henry lost his loved ones in the crowd. He exclaimed, "I lost my friends and family! Nya-ha!" Some of the surrounding visitors and brawlers groaned at the bad joke.

"Everyone, be quiet!" Crazy Hand shrieked at the top of his voice. Everyone instantly silenced.

"Thank you, Crazy." Master Hand said to his younger brother. "Everyone, lately we've been given reports that prized processions are being stolen. We would like to mention that all of you are responsible if something gets stolen."

"If something gets taken, we don't want you to come cryin' to us." Crazy Hand said. "You are supposed to keep your stuff in a safe place, not us."

"Due to the increase in thievery, there will be no matches until further notice." Master Hand stated. That sentence was followed by echoes of grumpy groans. "Some of the brawlers had their weapons or trademark items taken."

"We ask you to lock your belongings in a save place, like a closet." Crazy Hand said.

"What about the boy with the ax?" Ness piped. Some of the brawlers and visitors gasped and began to mutter hysterically to their friends.

"SILENCE!" Crazy Hand boomed, silencing the crowd. "Although the boy with the ad is described to be a murderous, terrifying figure, we request you to attack him at sight. I know you can do it. All of you know how to fight! Try not to eliminate him. If you managed to knock him out, bring him to us ASAP."

"Now, please leave so we can think of a solution to this issue." Master Hand ordered.

The visitors and brawlers began to leave the scene.

"Unbelievable!" Ike exclaimed to his friends as they followed him to the backyard. "That thief must be very skilled!"

"Yeah, he took a lot of stuff in one day..." Pit sniffed.

"Seriously, why does he want everyone's belongings?" Roy asked loudly, a bit angry.

"We need to be brave, guys." Link sternly said. "The thief is stepping on us! If we see him, we can't just let him go! We need to stop him, even if we need to chase and fight him!"

The five friends nodded at the Hylian's statement.

"What if he's nice?" Marth asked innocently. "What if he wants to be friends?"

"Thieves are never nice." Link spoke, thinking that Marth was acting a bit too naïve. "They only make friends with other thieves."

* * *

**Author's Note: Does this thief have an addiction to steal things? **

**I FINALLY finished this chapter! Hopefully, I'm not bugging everyone with all of these dialogue. There's nothing really to describe in this story so far. **

**Also in the next chapter, Link and the Villager will meet. I opened a poll asking whether the Villager should have a name. I've never played Animal Crossing, so I assume the Villager doesn't have a name. (Don't get mad at me if he does.) The choices are: Michael, Phil, Joey, Issac, and don't give him a name; just refer to him as "Villager". **

**Story Questions: **

**Out of curiosity, how do you think Link and the Villager should meet? **

**Where do you think the Villager is hiding?**

**(You don't need to answer these) **

**Am I annoying you will all of those character dialogues? **

**Which story should I update more: this story or Blue Pawn? **


	5. Chapter 5: Stolen Heart

That night, Link anxiously paced around this room. Although it was nearly midnight and all of the other brawlers were sound asleep, the Hylian had a lot on his troubled mind. The mysterious boy with the ax was an amazingly skilled thief. So far, the futile plan to catch him in the act was outwitted. If the thief knew every possible strategy to outsmart the whole mansion, then how could they capture him? No matter how clever and idealistic the tactics were, he always found a tricky way to outfox it!

With a loud, frustrated sigh, Link jumped onto his bed, curled up in its covers, and turned off the bedside lamp. His colorful room suddenly turned into a dark void filled with different tones and shapes of shadows. The white moonlight shown from the window, which was closed shut. The window's curtains were open, enabling Link to look up at the sparkling stars. A white clock glued to the pale-green wall ticked quietly, slowly lulling him to sleep.

Link wondered how he should capture the thief. Should he hide in the backyard during the night and wait for the thief to appear? No, he could either fall asleep or cause a violent commotion that wakes up the entire mansion! Some of the brawlers despised being woken up from their peaceful sleep. Maybe he should follow Pit's idea and set up booby traps. Setting traps in the mansion was a hazardous, because anyone can accidentally trigger them. But the thief could fall for it! Everyone could not know everything!

"Why does this have to be so complicated?" Link asked himself in a whispering voice. He hugged his pillow tightly and twitched his ears in annoyance. "We're not trying to finish the Water Temple, complete the Subspace Emissary, and beat Battletoads on the NES! We're trying to catch a thief, who seems to have an IQ of nine-hundred-ninety-nine!"

Link suddenly rose and looked out the window, expecting to see the thief sneaking across the backyard. To his disappointment, he did not see anyone stealthily creeping across the grassy field like what the kids described. He laid his head on his pillow as sleepiness spun in his head, making his eyelids feel as heavy as bricks. Link lightly pinched his pointy ears in effort to stay awake. However, his weak consciousness was slowly falling and falling into darkness…

A muffled yet sudden thump from the closet caused Link to awake. A bit confused, the Hylian quickly looked around, his blond bangs whipping in the air as he turned. He did not remember falling asleep, but what was that noise? His hands shaking in anxiety, Link got off his bed, took his Master Sword that was leaning against his bed and cautiously crept towards the closet. It was a bit dark and hard to see. The moonlight draining from the window and the tiny blue fairy nightlight did not provide enough light to illuminate the murky room.

The closet door was sealed shut. Link assumed that whoever entered his room accidentally locked himself in. Adrenaline began to rush through his veins as he stepped closer to the closet. His narrow blue eyes were as wide as a Yoshi Egg. His ears were pointed down in defense.

Another thump caused the startled Link to flinch and suddenly step back. His entire body shaking like a small earthquake, he swallowed nervously and gathered all of his courage to approach the chattering closet. The thief must have broken into his room! But, how did he get in there? The window was locked tight! Maybe, he entered through the door! Link took a quick glance at the door, which was slightly open, before focusing on the closet.

Maybe he should gather Marth and Ike, so the three could outnumber the thief. But, both of them were asleep. Knowing the prince's hatred of being woken up too early, Marth would probably throw a childish mini-fit. Although he was a light sleeper like a cat, it could be hard to wake Ike up in the middle of the night. The mercenary sometimes slept like a Snorlax.

Courage gleamed in his eyes as Link glared at the closet. No, he could not ask for help now! This needed to happen now, or the thief will escape again! Besides, almost all of the brawlers were dreadfully terrified of the thief since he was described as a serial killer armed with an ax. It would be a waste of time and air to ask them for help. That fact was a bit unbelievable. Most of them encountered many hazards as dangerous as a mysterious individual armed with an ax. Even his cousin Time, who had a lot in common with him, was too frightened to interrogate him! Maybe if Link caught the thief, he had another thing to brag to the Hero of Time, who could be a bit too prideful over his reputation.

"I GOT YOU NOW!" Link screamed as he pulled open the closet door, unable to hold in his anxiety. The closet door swung open, revealing the shocked brunette boy. Clutched in his hands were Link's trademark green cap and the ax.

"No wait—!" the little boy started.

He tried to scurry away, but Link grabbed him by his skinny arms and tackled him to the ground. The floppy cap and his ax slipped out of his fingers, leaving him helpless. Link glared at the boy in the eyes. Angry azure eyes full of triumph met frightened, large eyes.

"I finally caught you…" Link hissed, trying to hold in the fury that was caged in his heart.

"W-What are you going to do to me?" the boy stuttered fearfully. "P-Please, let me go!"

"Oh, no!" Link exclaimed loudly, picking up the poor boy. "You've been stealing everyone's belongings! Do you think I'll let a thief like you run away?"

"Please, I can explain!" the boy replied loudly, catching Link's attention. The tone of his voice nearly sounded like Toon's voice whenever he felt terrified. Link silently sighed to himself, calmed down, and mentally slapped himself. He had a soft side for children.

"Yeah, what is it?" Link was about to set the boy onto his bed when he heard footsteps heading down the hallway.

The little boy gasped. "H-Hide me, p-please!"

Without thinking twice, Link shoved the boy under his bed, just as when Ike gently pushed the door open and looked at him. A grumpy-looking Marth wearing a frown on his face stood by his side.

"What happened, Link?" Ike asked, walking into his room.

"Erm…" Link started nervously, looking around uneasily as he quickly thought of a response. "I-I had a dream! It was about me catching Mesprit!" Ike raised a doubtful eyebrow at the answer. Marth groaned loudly. "Really!" Link protested, nervously smiling. "Apparently, it kinda got out of control and… I guess I sleepwalked!"

"You said something about someone stealing things." Ike replied suspiciously. "Did you find the thief or something? Don't lie!"

"I dreamt that Mesprit stole my Master Sword!" Link responded. A sweat drop rolled down his face.

After a few seconds, Ike smiled and gave Link a pat on the head. "Link, calm down. Don't worry about the thief. I think it's getting to your head."

"Y-Yeah!" Link laughed softly. "W-Well, sorry about that!"

"It's ok." Ike turned to leave Link's room. "Well, goodnight."

"G-Goodnight!" Link replied, faking an anxious smile.

Ike and Marth left the scene. As Link shut the door behind them, he heard Marth say, "Urk, I was having a great dream before that baka woke me up."

The rude statement was followed by a light slap on the face and Marth's weak, soft cry. "Hey, everyone gets exciting dreams sometimes." Ike whispered.

"Rinku-kun doesn't usually dream like that." Marth replied. "I'm not sure if he's telling the truth."

"I believe him." Ike said confidently.

Link sighed in relief, turned around, and saw the little boy uneasily stand up. "T-That was close." He whimpered softly.

"Yeah, it was." Link gently picked him up and sat on his bed. "Now, tell me why were you stealing everyone's belongings."

"I couldn't help it!" the little boy replied sadly, sitting down in Link's warm lap. "My game is all about collecting valuable items!"

Link's ears rose a bit in interest. "Your game?"

"I'm from a game called Animal Crossing." The boy explained. "You get to decorate your house and collect items!"

"So… What is your name?" Link asked.

"I don't really have a name." the little boy answered with an unhappy gleam in his black eyes. "I am known as Villager."

"Really?" Link asked again.

"Really." Villager answered. "My name could've been Phil, Joey, Michael, or Isaac, but no! I'm name is just Villager!"

"I'm sorry… Why were you invited to the Smash Mansion?"

"Here? Oh, well… I wasn't. I was cleaning my house, when this strange portal appeared. I was really curious and entered it. It took me to here and I decided to explore the mansion. I saw a lot of items, which really got me into collecting stuff."

"The Hands must be involved in this…" Link suspiciously murmured to himself.

"What did you say?" Villager innocently asked.

"Oh, nothing!" Link smiled slightly. "You really can't stop collecting things?"

"Yeah! It's my hobby!" Villager carefully crawled out of Link's lap, lied down on the soft bed, and cuddled the blanket. "What's your name?"

"I'm Link." Link stretched his legs. "I am the Hero of Twilight who saved my homeland Hyrule."

"That's cool…" Villager yawned quietly. "What do you do?"

"I'm good at using a sword and solving puzzles."

"Why do you have pointy ears?"

"I'm a Hylian." Link's ears twitched a bit. "We have pointy ears. They are special because they help us hear well."

"What else do Hylians have?"

"Well, some of them have the ability to cast magic. I know a good friend who— Er, Villager?"

Villager was curled up in Link's blanket, sound asleep. With a small smile, Link carefully took him in his arms, laid his head on his soft pillow, and slowly shut his eyes. Strangely, he felt an indescribable, warm feeling in his heart. It was hard to define. It was a feeling that lingered in his heart whenever he was having a great time with his friends. Could it be? Link gave Villager a small hug before falling asleep.

_Link was starting to befriend Villager. _

* * *

**Author's Note: Darn Link, did you really need to start a loud commotion? **

**YES! Finally finished with this chapter! Whew... Hopefully, no one is loosing interest in this story due to the slow updates. I have about two more weeks until school starts, so I want to get at least either this story or Blue Pawn completed so I won't be stressed. Also, I hope I described the gameplay of Animal Crossing correctly. I've never played the games before. **

**Story Questions: **

**Why do you think Link is starting to befriend Villager? **

**What would like to see in the next chapter? **


	6. Chapter 6: Changed View

The sound of rain plucking on the roof caused Link to stir and awake. Rubbing his eyes, yawning softly, and sitting up in his bed, he glanced out the window and watched the rain plunge from the sky. A mist clouded the farthest part of the backyard, giving the atmosphere an eerie feeling.

"Whoa, it's raining!" Link spoke to himself. He looked at Villager, who was still asleep. The brunette boy nestled against his warm body.

Careful to not wake Villager up, Link silently slipped out of his covers. He changed into a casual attire, since he did not have any matches today. (Then again, NO ONE had any matches due to thievery!) His attire included a forest green sweater over a collared white shirt, beige jeans, white sneakers, and his trademark floppy cap.

Once when he was finished dressing, Link tip-toed out of his room, gently closed the door, and headed to the cafeteria. There, he saw most of the brawlers seated at their tables with their friends. A few of the brawlers were not present, as they were either still asleep or chilling in the backyard. With his sensitive, nosy ears, Link overheard some of the brawlers' conversation. Most of them shared the same topic: Catching the mysterious, sneaky thief.

Link took a tray and chose his breakfast. It included three mini-pancakes with syrup, a boiled egg, and a carton of Lon Lon Milk. He also got a small bagel, another boiled egg, and orange juice for Villager. When he reached his table, Link was surprised to see only Marth. Marth was sipping a small cup of tea while eating a small bagel. He looked a bit funny, as his head looked naked without his tiara and he was also dressed casually. He wore a jacket with tones of blue, jeans, a turtlenect sky-blue shirt, and tennis shoes.

"Hey Marth!" Link greeted the prince.

Marth quickly swallowed his bagel and smiled sweetly. "Hi, Rinku-kun!" he replied cheerfully.

Link sat next to Marth. "Where's Ike, Roy, and Pit?"

"Roi-kun and Pitto-kun are still sleeping." Marth answered. "These lazy boys. Aiku-kun just left. He said he's going to figure out a way to catch the thief."

"Ok." Link said. He hungrily consumed the three mini pancakes.

Marth eyed Link's breakfast. "That's a lot of food…" he commented, sipping his tea. "You must be really hungry!"

"Well… I'm saving it up for later." Link replied, trying not to make Marth suspicious.

Being well in leading an army and tactics, Marth was a highly intelligent prince. As soon as Link said that sentence, he began to doubt something. Link hardly ate between meals. "Really?" Marth distrustfully asked, looking Link directly in the eye in effort to make him break.

Link swallowed his boiled egg nervously and nodded quickly. "Yeah! For some reason, I've been working up an appetite!"

The Hylian faked a laugh and hastily drank his milk, which made Marth more suspicious. The prince raised a wary eyebrow and his cerulean eyes narrowed into a glare. Something was wrong here…

"Why are you looking at me like that?" Link asked suddenly, causing Marth to flinch.

"Ah!" Marth cried out, blushing furiously. "N-Nothing!"

Link wrapped the boiled egg and bagel in a napkin and got out of his seat. "Well, I got to go now! I got something to do! S-See you, Marth!"

"Goodbye…?" Marth spoke as he watched his Hylian friend awkwardly hurry out of the cafeteria. He sighed as he sipped his tea. "Rinku-kun, what are you up to?" he asked himself quietly.

When Link arrived at his room, Villager had just woken up. His brown hair was tousled and his cheeks were still a warm pink.

"Good morning, Link!" Villager yawned as Link approached and sat down next to him.

"Good morning." Link replied with a soft smile, setting the food on the bed. "I got some breakfast for you."

Villager blushed in awkwardness. "Er, you didn't need to! Really!"

"A lot of people are looking for you." Link explained. "Once when they see you, they won't show any mercy."

"Oh." That was what Villager said when he began to eat his breakfast.

"I have a question to ask you." Link added. "Where did you hide everyone's belongings?"

Villager looked down. "I hid it somewhere in the Smash Mansion." He managed to say.

"Where?" Link asked again.

"I-In the backyard." Villager answered.

"Where?!" Link questioned sternly, his voice rising. He immediantly covered his mouth when he saw Villager cower and whimper in fright. "Oh, sorry about that." The Hylian quickly apologized.

"It's ok." Villager sighed, as the only way out of the woods was to tell the truth. "I hid everything in an abandoned shed in the backyard. Do you want me to show you?"

Link looked out the window. It was still pouring. The rain violently plucked on the window. "Err, not now." He answered, "It's raining too hard."

"We can go out with an umbrella!" Villager suggested as he nibbled on his bagel like a mouse.

"Maybe, but it's really cold." Link replied.

"Didn't you say that you saved Hyrule? You must've faced a lot of difficulties!" Villager pouted childishly. "And you're afraid to go out of the rain?!"

"I was forced to." Link calmly argued. "Now, I have a choice. And I choose to not go out in the rain!"

Villager giggled childishly. Link smiled back and eyed his ax, which was sitting inside his closet. "Do you fight with an ax?" he asked.

"Not really." Villager answered. "I hardly fight. I use an ax to craft things."

"Had you attacked anyone with it?"

"No!"

As they laughed and talked, Link and Marth did not notice a certain blue-haired prince watching them through the wide-open door. Marth's face was as white in paper in terror. His large cerulean eyes were wide as he gazed at the little brunette boy happily talking to one of his best friends. Oh no, that was the little boy with the ax in his bathroom! What should he do?! Scream for help? Fight him with his bare fists? No, that was not a good idea! Maybe he should hurry to his room, take his Falchion, and use it against him!

Villager suddenly looked up at Marth. Large, dark eyes made contact with frightened cerulean eyes. "Hey Link, who's that?" Villager asked innocently. He pointed to Marth.

"ABUNAI, RINKU-KUN!" Marth suddenly screamed. Like if he was battling in an intense match, Marth immediately lunged onto Link's bed, towards Villager.

Luckily, Link's reflexes were as quick as a light. "Marth, STOP IT!" he shouted as he tackled Marth to the ground.

Marth instantly froze. Link was sitting on his stomach, pinning him down on the floor. "Rinku-kun, the boy is in your room!" Marth whispered in a warning tone.

Link quickly turned to Villager with an uneasy smile. "Heheh, excuse me. I need to have a small talk with my friend Marth."

Pulling him up to his feet, Link forcefully guided Marth into his bathroom. Marth sat in the empty bathtub as Link paced around and spoke to him.

"Marth, Villager is a good child, not a psychotic killer." Link stated.

"That's what he says!" Marth protested, giving Link an immature pout. "Rinku-kun, listen to me! He's waiting for a chance to backstab you!"

"I let him sleep with me last night." Link calmly explained. "If he was a killer, I would be dead now!"

Marth exhaled loudly in defeat. Link did have a good point. "He's the thief, right?"

"Yes."

"You said that thieves only want to be friends with other thieves!"

"Well, I have to admit, I kinda jumped to conclusions." Link scratched the back of his head in embarrassment. "Trust me, Villager is nice! He's just like Ness, Lucas, and Toon!"

"Really? Are you sure?"

"I'm sure. Let's introduce you to him."

Villager just finished his breakfast when Link and Marth exited the bathroom. Marth coyly cowered behind Link and toyed with his hair. He kept a sharp hawk's eye on Villager, as he was paranoid that he might suddenly attack him and Link.

"Villager, this is Marth." Link introduced. "Marth, this is Villager." Link introduced. He noticed Marth trembling behind him and gently gave him a nudge on his side.

Marth nervously stepped forward and shyly made eye contact with Villager. "It's nice to meet you." Villager stood up on Link's bed, which made Marth jump and squeal in fright. "A-Au!"

"I think I saw you!" Villager remarked. "I remember that I took your crown-thingy yesterday!"

Marth's eyes widened in shock and bewilderment. "YOU HAVE MY TIARA?!" he screamed, jumping onto the bed. "WHERE IS IT?!"

Villager cried out and cringed at the prince's sudden outburst. Link immediately stepped towards Marth and gave him a light slap on the face. "Calm down, Marth!"

Marth inhaled some air as he tried to cool down. A small drop of sweat rolled down his forehead. His lightly brushed his blue bangs out of his eyes and blinked.

"I hid it somewhere." Villager honestly explained. "I know that it's really valuable because it's a tiara that is made out of gold and has a really shiny blue gem—"

"It's not just a tiara." Marth began. "It's a gift given to me from my Onee-chan and Shiida-chan!"

"Who… or what's an Onee-chan and Shiida-chan." Villager innocently asked.

"Onee-chan is my big sister Elice." Marth explained. "Shiida-chan is my girlfriend Caeda."

"So, it's a different language?" Villager questioned again.

"Yes, it's Japanese." Marth answered.

"Cool! How do you say 'hello'?"

"Konnichiwa."

"What about 'goodbye'?"

"Sayonara."

"Can you tell me how to say 'I'm sorry'?"

"Gomenasai."

"How do you tell someone that he's stupid?"

"Anata wa baka!" Marth gave Villager a comical grumpy look, which made the little brunet cry out with laughter.

By watching Marth and Villager chat with each other, Link could see that Marth was no longer afraid of Villager. His cerulean eyes were sparkling with joy and his lips were curved in a kind smile, just like if he was talking to the child brawlers. Villager was giggling at Marth's every Japanese phrases.

_"I think everyone can befriend Villager, if they give him a chance."_Link said to himself as he watched Marth and Villager.

* * *

**Author's Notes: This story is still alive! *Awkwardly pokes corpse with flies buzzing around it***

**After a long break, I finally managed to finish chapter 6. I'm sorry that the update is REALLY late. Writer's block is a burden! I'm going to make an effort to try to finish this story. Judging by how I feel now, I think this story will be at least 8 chapters long. I would like to try to finish it and make it a good story so I can get started on another fanfic. **

**Annnd, I opened a poll asking if I should write more AU fanfics or "Misadventures in the Smash Mansion" fanfics. I am really having trouble deciding what I should write. So, please vote. *nervously crawls back into hole* **

**Story Question: **

**Who should meet Villager next? **


	7. Chapter 7: Blending In

Bored with nothing to do, Ness, Lucas, Toon, and the Ice Climbers were loitering in the cafeteria with nothing to do. Usually, they would engage in arranged matches, watch their fellow brawlers battle against each other, or play in the backyard. Yet, today was a rainy day and none of them dared to play hide-and-seek in the freezing weather. Also, all of the matches were canceled due to the mysterious thievery, so there was nothing to watch.

"Man, I wish we still had our Wii U!" Ness grumbled. "If we did, then we can play Wind Waker on it!"

"I wish someone would catch that thief!" Lucas sighed unhappily. "Then, we can get our stuff back!"

"It has been really boring ever since that thief took everyone's stuff." Toon whined.

Nana and Popo nodded in agreement. "Well, I don't want to sit around the cafeteria all day." Popo spoke up.

"Me neither." Nana replied.

"Let's see Link!" Toon suggested. "He always have suggestions on what to do!"

"Alright, but where is he?" Lucas asked.

"I think he is in his room." Ness answered. "If he isn't, we can always look for him in the mansion!"

All of the five child brawlers exited the cafeteria to look for Link.

* * *

At that moment, Roy and Pit woke up from their restful sleep. The two teens were pacing down the hallway to the cafeteria for breakfast, still half-asleep.

"I had this strange dream." Pit said to the redhead. "I dreamed that I was angel stature covering my face. Whenever someone turned away from me, I lunged at them and mysterious twisted their heads off with some magical power."

"That's creepy." Roy remarked with a smirk.

"Do you think it has a meaning?" Pit asked.

"I think so, but I'm not sure." Roy answered. "I'm not a psychologist!"

Marth, who was in Link's room with the Hylian and Villager, heard the two talking. He carefully got off Link's bed and began to walk out of the room.

"Marth, where are you going?" Villager curiously asked.

"I hear my friends Roi-kun and Pitto-kun coming." Marth answered with a soft smile. "I'll be back soon."

Villager and Link watched Marth leave. "Goodbye, Marth!" Villager quietly called. The little boy turned to Link. "What should we do now?"

"Usually, I would venture around the backyard, but it's raining really hard." Link answered. "We could try to go to go to the café. It's a really nice place close to the Smash Mansion."

"I would like to go there!" Villager replied, hopping off Link's bed. "Let's go right now!"

Link chuckled as he went to his closet and put on a dark forest green jacket. "Alright! Just give me a minute!" He reached for his light green umbrella.

At the moment when Link and Villager were about to step of the room, they heard a voice that exclaimed, "There's Link!"

Toon quickly hurried towards the older Hylian with a beaming grin. "Hey Link! We want to ask you if—" He sentence dropped like a rock in deep water when his eyes made contact with Villager. Along with his statement, his smile fell into a frightened look.

"What's wrong, Toon—?" Lucas started to ask when he and the others caught up with Toon. The little Hylian, lost in his dismay, could only point at Villager with his shaking finger. Lucas gasped and covered his mouth in fright. Ness began to tremble as he prepared to flee. Nana and Popo began to whimper as tears filled their large eyes.

Yet, the five child brawlers were not the only ones afraid. Villager, who completely did not know who were those five children, timidly cowered behind Link. Were those children mean? Were they going to attack him?

Link noticed the tense moment between the children. His ears slightly lowering, he calmly said, "Children, don't be afraid."

"He's behind you, Link!" Lucas whispered loudly.

Link only raised an eyebrow in response. The children gathered together in defense, ready to fight Villager. Villager tightly clutched Link's arm for protection. "Please listen." Link sternly began. "Villager is just like you guys."

"But, we saw him with an ax!" Ness spoke up.

"Ness, I have a question to ask." Link replied. "How many brawlers wield a dangerous weapons?"

Ness was too lazy to count. It did not matter anyway, as everyone had a dangerous weapon, such as a sword, magic, or a gun. "Uh, all of them?"

"Are you afraid of them?" Link asked.

"Well, some of them." Ness answered. "Mainly because I know that they are nasty people."

Link went closer to the gathered child brawlers. "Children, all of you are just assuming that Villager is a dangerous person. He isn't, once when you get to know him. He's just like all of you guys."

There was an awkward moment of silence. Finally, Nana softly spoke. "Are you going somewhere?" she asked.

"Yeah, I'm taking Villager to the café." Link answered. "Do you want to come along?"

All of the child brawlers looked at each other for a moment. Should they come? Well, they were a tad afraid of Villager, yet could be a good chance to get to know him.

"Ermmm, sure." all of the child brawlers answered hesitantly. "We'll go with you."

Raindrops nosily pattered on Link's umbrella as he and the children walked down the drenched street to the café. The cold weather did not bother him. Although the fresh, freezing air stung his ears, it revived his senses. He did not notice any raindrops dripping onto his warm clothes.

Yet, one little thing did bother him. Ness, Lucas, Toon, and the Ice Climbers were clustered into one tight group at Link's left side in effort to avoid contact with Villager, who was walking by Link's right side. Really? That was not how you get to know someone! Link sadly glanced at the children and sighed quietly.

"Hey, guys." Ness silently whispered to his friends.

"Yeah, what is it?" Lucas quietly asked.

"Pay close attention to him." Ness pointed to Villager, who did not seem to pay any attention to them. "He might attack us!"

"Got it." Toon replied.

After five minutes, the brawlers arrived at the café. In contrast to the frosty, wet weather, the building was humid and had the sweet smell of coffee. Lots of people were sitting in seats, either surfing the Internet, doing their work, or enjoying a warm cup of tea or coffee.

"So, do you guys want some hot chocolate?" Link softly asked the child brawlers.

Ness, Lucas, Toon, and the Ice Climbers quickly nodded before scurrying away to take a seat on the large soda. Villager answered, "Yes!"

Link nodded in reply and went into the growing line of people. Trying not to show signs of shyness, Villager took a seat on the sofa and looked at the floor. The child brawlers could only awkwardly gaze at him. There was one huge gap on the sofa between the children. It could be considered to be a humorous or heartbreaking sight for the viewer.

A few moments later, Link returned holding two cups of hot chocolate and placed it on a small table sitting in front of the sofa. After when he left to make a second trip, Villager got out of his seat and gave the cups to Lucas and Ness. The children were stunned by this sudden act of kindness.

"Uh, t-thanks." Lucas replied as he began to slowly sip on his drink.

Villager smiled. "You're welcome!"

There was another moment of silence between the children. All they heard were people whispering to each other and the sound of typing.

"You know, I'm really sorry for taking your Wii U." Villager started. "I could not help it."

"Why?" Ness doubtfully asked.

"Collecting things are part of my game, Animal Crossing." Villager answered.

Toon gasped softly as his small pointy ears twitched. "Animal Crossing? I like that game!"

"That's nice." Villager replied. "How many games did you play?"

"I've played Wild World." Toon answered. "I'm going to get the one for the 3DS."

The children looked up and saw Link set another two cups of hot chocolate into the table. He left once again to make a final trip. The Ice Climber helped themselves.

"Were you invited to the Smash Mansion?" Nana asked. "I did not see you on the first day."

"No, I wasn't." Villager began. "This weird portal appeared in front of my house one day and I decided to enter it. That's how I arrived at the Smash Mansion."

"There weren't a lot of newcomers." Ness spoke up. "There's Megaman and Wii Fit Trainer. That's all. I'm kinda disappointed."

"I heard that the Hands are still thinking on inviting more people to the mansion." Popo said. "But, I don't really think its true."

"Why?" Villager asked.

"Pit and Roy told me." Popo answered. "They always jump to conclusions."

"I hope it is true." Toon said. He noticed Link strangely walking towards them, clumsily trying to hold three drinks. One of the drinks was dangerously balanced on another drink, thus making Link a bit nervous. Toon hurried towards him and took two drinks out of the older Hylian's procession, which relieved him. He gave a drink to Villager and continued. "It would be kinda boring if there were no newcomers."

"Yeah..." Lucas agreed. "You know the Melee Tournament? I heard that some of the brawlers didn't return."

"That's true." Ness spoke, nodding his head sadly.

"Why did some of the brawlers did not return?" Villager asked after sipping his warm drink.

"Actually, they were rejected." Ness explained. "Apparently, fans complained that some of the rejects were boring and stuff like that. Some of the reasons were really stupid." Ness made eye contact with Nana and Popo. "Remember Mewtwo? People said that he was really cruel and scared their children. That was the friggen' reason why Mewtwo had to leave."

"It isn't right in my opinion." Popo added. "Mewtwo wasn't actually cruel and mean like everyone assumes. He might seem cold, but when you get to know him, he's understanding and protective."

"Yeah..." Nana said softly, remembering the Melee Rejects. "I miss them. It doesn't really feel the same without them."

"At least we have Roy." Link spoke up, sitting next to the children.

"Roy?" Villager asked. "That's Marth's friend. Was he a Melee Reject?"

"Yes, he was." Link began. "Well, kinda to be honest. For some reason, the Hands needed to disqualify either Marth or Roy. They settled on Roy, since Marth was more liked. However, they couldn't tell Roy, as it would hurt both Marth and his feelings. So they asked Marth to tell him he was disqualified from the tournament. Marth also couldn't tell him, so in the end, the Hands ended up turning Roy into a trophy and hiding him away."

"What happened next?" Villager asked.

"When the Brawl Tournament started, Pit, one of my friends, managed to find Roy. He tried to keep his existence a secret, but it was revealed quickly. After a series of events, the Hands agreed to allow Roy in future tournaments." Link concluded. "I would get into the details, but it's a long story."

"I think being a brawler at the mansion is really fun." Villager spoke. "I've been watching all of you guys, and you seem to be having lots of fun!"

"Erm, maybe we can ask the Hands if you can become a brawler here." Lucas suggested.

"The Hands?" Villager asked curiously.

"The Hands are the owners of the Smash Mansion." Ness explained. "They run every tournament held at the mansion."

"Where are they?"

"They are always in their office." Toon answered.

"Are they nice?"

"Master Hand is stern yet understanding." Link answered, joining the conversation. "Crazy Hand is silly and hyperactive, however he could be as serious as his older twin brother."

"Do you think they will let me become a brawler?" Villager softly questioned. "I mean, I stole everyone's belongings, so they probably wouldn't let me in..."

"Hey, when they see that you're a nice person, they'll let you in!" Popo replied.

"Really?" Villager's voice rose in hope.

"Yeah!" Popo said.

"Why don't we introduce you when we arrive back at the mansion?" Nana suggested.

"That sounds like a good idea." Villager replied. "But, I need to tell everyone that I'm the one who stole all of their stuff..."

"Yes, you need to confess." Link said. "But don't worry! We'll back you up!"

"Ok!" Villager said cheerfully.

Unbeknownst to the child brawlers and Link, they did not notice a certain wolf and an evil clone of a famous plumber hiding in the corner, listening to their conversation.

"That kid is the thief!" Wolf whispered sneakily into Wario's ears.

"Let's-a tell everyone and the Hands!" Wario replied evilly. "Ooh boy, I can't-a wait to receive my reward!"

"You need to split it with me." Wolf added with an annoyed huff. "Both of us found him."

"Let's-a go!" Wario quickly spoke up. "Or Link will-a notice us!"

The two villains stealthily snuck out of the café, excited to announce the news to the other brawlers. Unfortunately, Link and the child brawlers did not notice.

* * *

**Author's Notes: Oh boy, I don't like the looks of this...**

**Sorry for the slow updates. School has been really busy for me. (AS USUAL!) Judging by this chapter, I feel that the story will be finished in at least 2 chapters. This kinda gets me excited, since I had this AU story I really wanted to upload. The climax will be in the next chapter.**

**PS: Please check out my poll if you hadn't! **

**Story Questions: **

**Judging by the events of this chapter, what do you think is going to happen next? **

**(You don't need to answer this.) Do you mind slow updates? **


End file.
